"In a tour de force of original research and synthesis, involving years of study and extensive travel throughout the region, Anne Richter gives us the first comprehensive account of a tradition that stretches across millennia from the vigour of Neolithic and Bronze Age art and animist religion to the present day, and reflects influences from the ancient Mediterranean, Western Asia, India and China." "Magnificent gold jewelry of classical Cambodia and Java, a man's ruby-eyed dragon ring from Thailand, silver work of the Vietnamese court, filigree bridal necklaces of Sumatra, jewelled belt buckles and tobacco boxes of Malaysia, royal gold sashes of the pre-Hispanic Philippines, adornment for Chinese communities and for remote hill peoples - the more than three hundred pieces seen here, many hitherto unpublished, reveal a jewelry notable for its beauty and rich significance. The analyses of the symbolism shed light on Asian cultures, while the aesthetic appeal of the items makes this volume irresistible for all jewelry lovers."--BOOK JACKET.